1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to amusement rides installed in amusement parks, such as roller coasters and the like, and more particularly to an amusement ride wherein a passenger car is adapted to travel on a track.
2. Description of the Background Art
It is generally known that amusement parks offer their clientele a vast range of pleasure rides. Traditionally, roller coasters and the like have been known as rides allowing the passengers to experience sensations of speed and thrills. More recent designs have proposed rides with tracks having loops or spirals for enhancing the sensations of speed and thrills. Such rides have become very popular among people, particularly among younger generations, because of the chance of experiencing extraordinary sensations which are unobtainable in everyday life.
In the above prior-art roller coasters, however, the passenger car is adapted to travel at high speeds thereby exposing the passengers to rapid visual changes or high speed and thus, produces thrilling sensations. Given that the traveling speed of the car is limited to a certain level, the variation of such visual change and impression of speed is limited.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel amusement ride wherein the passengers may experience thrilling sensations enhanced by new elements of visual change and unprecedented movement of the passenger car. The amusement ride of the invention comprising a track of a given trajectory and a passenger car for traveling on the track is characterized in that the track has at least one missing portion. In an aspect of the invention, the passenger car travels on the track to jump into the air from a car-releasing side of the track at the missing portion, with a traveling speed and a traveling direction maintained by inertia. Then, via a midair movement path determined by inertia, the car lands on a car-receiving side of the track. In this process, the passengers may experience a mixture of sensations such as a feeling of flying as they are released into the air, fear and an impression of speed. Incidentally, if the missing portion of the track is located in sight of the passengers, they will be seized with fear instinctively feeling that the car is moving free from the control of the track. This provides the passengers with an increased thrill because of an element of illusory danger.
In this case, a guide section for receiving the car moving from the car-releasing side of the track and guiding the same to the car-receiving side of the track may be disposed at the missing portion on the car-receiving side of the track. As guided by the guide section, the car moving across the missing portion can assuredly transfer onto the car-receiving side of the track.
Alternatively, the missing portion may be provided with a transfer mechanism for transferring the passenger car from the car-releasing side of the track onto the car-receiving side of the track. This provides a more assured transfer of the car from the car-releasing side of the track onto the car-receiving side of the track.
In another aspect of the invention, an amusement ride comprises a traveling course closing member of a fragile material disposed in a traveling course of the car along the track. In the ride, the passenger car travels on the track to collide with the traveling course closing member disposed in the traveling course of the car. In this process, the passengers may be seeing the traveling course closing member until the moment at which the car collides with the traveling course closing member, and hence, the passengers may experience the mixed thrill of fear of collision and an impression of the speed of the running car. On the other hand, because of its fragility, the traveling course closing member is readily broken upon receiving the impact of the collision of the car and thus, the car is allowed to continue running on the track.
In yet another aspect of the invention, an amusement ride comprises an obstacle disposed adjacent the track and a drive mechanism for advancing/retreating the obstacle with respect to the traveling course of the car along the track. In the ride, the drive mechanism is actuated to advance the obstacle into the traveling course of the car and to retreat the obstacle from the traveling course when the car passes the point where the obstacle is disposed. Thus, the passengers, seeing the obstacle in the traveling course of the car, may experience the mixed thrill of fear of collision with the obstacle and an impression of speed of the running car.
In still another aspect of the invention, an amusement ride comprises a passenger car having a seating section movably mounted to a car body and a drive mechanism for vertically moving the seating section. In the ride, the drive mechanism is actuated to elevate or lower the seating section while the car is running whereby the passengers are subject to a vertical movement in addition to forward movement. This provides an unprecedented sensation, thus offering an enhanced element of amusement.
In another aspect of the invention, an amusement ride comprises the track including a first track and a second track laid along the first track, the second track having a waved trajectory with respect to the first track, and the passenger car having front wheels thereof engaged with the first track and rear wheels thereof engaged with the second track. In the ride, the car travels with the front wheels and rear wheels engaged with the first track and second track, respectively. At a portion where the second track is waved, the rear wheels of the car moves along the waved trajectory and therefore, the car proceeds with the rear wheels vertically swung about the front wheel portion. Thus, the passengers are subject to a vertical movement at a smaller pitch than the prior art in addition to a forward movement. This provides unprecedented sensations, thus offering an enhanced element of amusement.
In still another aspect of the invention, an amusement ride comprises a track including a first track portion and a second track portion laid on an extension line of the first track, the passenger car including a first car for traveling on the first track and a second car resting on the first car, a halting mechanism interposed between the first and second tracks for halting the movement of the first car, a locking mechanism for prohibiting the second car from moving back and forth, and a releasing mechanism provided at the first car and adapted to contact the halting mechanism for releasing the locking mechanism thereby allowing the forward movement of the second car. According to the ride, the second car accommodating the passengers therein is mounted on the first car and is prohibited by the locking mechanism from moving back and forth. In this state, the first car carrying the second car thereon travels on the first track. Then, the first and second cars reach the halting mechanism where the first car collides with the halting mechanism to be halted whereas the second car is released forward by inertia from the first car because the releasing mechanism is actuated to release the locking mechanism thereby allowing the forward movement of the second car. Thus, the second car transfers onto the second track laid on the extension line of the first track, to travel on the second track. This provides the mixed thrill of a fear of collision of the first car against the halting mechanism and a feeling of speed. This also offers an unprecedented, extraordinary ride with an enhanced element of amusement wherein the second car accommodating the passengers is transferred from the first track to the second track.